"Amazing Race Canada" has put out the casting call for travel-savvy hopefuls for its second season -- and executive producer John Brunton says he's been stunned by some of the applicants.

"Every now and then somebody from the casting department will come up to me with something, (saying): can you believe who just entered?" he said in a telephone interview Friday.

"Even last year, there were a lot of celebrities who approached us," he added later. "Of course, with certain celebrities, they don't want to go through the typical casting process. And of course, our rule is that everybody is treated equally. So whether you're a superstar athlete or a famous comedian or actor or whomever, everybody's gotta go through the same door, everybody's gotta submit videos in the same manner. We don't treat anybody in any kind of special way."

With the deadline for submitting applications looming on Dec. 26, Brunton says producers are looking for a diverse cast of "watchable and cheerable" Canadians, people who can "hold the screen."

Brunton talked to The Canadian Press about the show's highly rated first season, which teams surprised him and what viewers can expect from season 2.

CP: Who would you identify as the breakout team in season 1, as far as being entertaining to watch?

Brunton: "The one thing we decided was that we wouldn't put a team onto the show that we wouldn't have been happy if they'd won, right? And we wanted to try to put teams that we all thought had the capability of winning. Now when you looked at the two sisters (Ottawa's Vanessa Morgan and Celina Mziray) at the beginning of the show, you may not have predicted that they had the capability. But you can't underestimate charm, you can't underestimate tenacity. And when those two girls were dragging each other across the tundra in Iqaluit, I think that show was just such a breakout show for them because they realized there was nothing that was going to stop them. That even though they were small and they were feminine, that they were tough as nails. And we knew that from our interviewing process. Even with the teams like (married Montreal doctors) Brett (Burstein) and Holly (Agostino), some people thought, well we played them as villains. Listen, they're two pediatricians who are madly in love with each other. Were they aggressive? Sure they were. But they were also very cheerable as well."

CP: Some of the contestants have been open about conflict during the show with the "Body Break" team of Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod. Did you anticipate that they would play that sort of role on the show?

Brunton: "You know what was interesting about them is that they were incredibly competitive. And in addition to that, as our oldest group on the show, they were about as physically fit as anybody was. I think that the "Body Break" couple is just incredibly, incredibly intense and competitive. And we knew they would be. Hal and Joanne made it perfectly clear to me that they were signing up for the race to win the race -- they weren't just using it to get their face back in front of the media. They really wanted to win desperately and that came out in the program and it pissed people off."

CP: The team that won the race (Tim Hague Jr. and Tim Hague Sr. of Winnipeg) finished last in two separate legs, but were bailed out both times because they were non-elimination rounds. Were you concerned that having a team that finished last twice go on to win would feel unsatisfying for viewers?

Brunton: "There's so many twists and turns in that show, there's so much that you just cannot predict. It's like a great comeback in the fourth quarter of a football game. You could never have imagined that in a quarter of football that a team could score three touchdowns to win the game after being flat on their ass in the first half. And I think that's one of the exciting things about the program. (It was) incredible that they just happened to fail on legs where they weren't eliminated. It was just fate and luck and whatever -- depending on who you are, you can view that in different ways. Some people, in the Tims' case, probably viewed it as fate. That just speaks to the terrific unpredictability of the program."

CP: Before the show started, some wondered whether filming exclusively in Canada would take away some of the excitement of the American version of the show. Heading into season 2, are you confident there are more exciting locales to explore?

Brunton: "I've been to pretty much every corner of this country and we haven't even scratched the surface. Some of the amazing feedback we got about the show was how excited people were to see Canada. There was a huge, huge, huge concern that we might be making a mistake but Canada proved to be one of the stars of the show -- superstars of the show. ... We tried not to be predictable. Sometimes people want that iconic Canadian thing, but we made an effort to be contemporary. You know, we have got the beginning of a route mapped out that's going to blow people's minds."

'Amazing Race Canada' Season 2: What's In Store For CTV Reality Show In 2014

If you loved "Amazing Race Canada" in Season 1, then you're in luck. The fan favourite is staying the course for Season 2, with one potentially major change.

While the Canadian reality show competition exceeded expectations with its first season, for its sophomore run -- set to start up in the summer of 2014 -- showrunners and producers have some surprises up their sleeves. HuffPost Canada TV spoke with "Amazing Race Canada" senior producer Mike Bickerton, who filled us in on what's to come.

After sifting through literally thousands of online video auditions for Season 2 (applications are no longer being accepted), Bickerton promises that this season will outpace Season 1. But what will be different about it? What kinds of teams were Bickerton and the producers looking for? If these are the kinds of burning questions you have, then look no further.

How Happy Are You With Season 1?Considering that "Amazing Race Canada" was the second-highest rated TV show in Canada, averaging 3.3 million viewers per episode, it's not surprising that the people behind the show are thrilled with the end result. It's a source of pride to know that almost every person who worked on the show was Canadian, from the camera operators to the editors.

"We all felt like we had an amazing show while we were shooting out in the field, but to get that kind of response from Canadians was overwhelming," said Bickerton. "I've been doing this for more than a decade, and 'Amazing Race Canada' gave just a staggering, staggering rating."

What Changes Are Afoot With Season 2?Some aspects of "Amazing Race Canada" are staying the same; Bickerton was so pleased with how the teams turned out for last season, he's predicting that the Season 2 teams will have the same charisma and appeal. The producers want to keep the "Canadian humour" (you know what we mean) fresh and present.

"One of the big things that we've always wanted to keep in mind for the show is Canadian humour," said Bickerton. "Our show was fun and funny in Season 1, and it could be touching and heartfelt, but it always left you smiling. That's something we're going to be focusing on, for sure."

"We have one glaring problem going into Season 2," laughs Bickerton. "And that massive challenge is trying to best ourselves. The challenges have to be more difficult, scarier, funnier ... we're taking a look at the show as a whole and trying to amplify what we did."

Will The Contestants Be Travelling Outside Of Canada?Since Bickerton is a senior producer, he really only deals with casting -- he isn't qualified to speak to the exact Race route.

"I'm not at liberty to say," said Bickerton. "The [Race] route is obviously our most highly protected treasure, and it's still being worked on." However, we did read in the eligibility guidelines that racers do need to have a valid Canadian passport, but that could just be for any sort of air travel. We're not sure, but it looks like we'll be seeing other locales [read: outside of Canada] this season.

What Sorts Of Teams Will You Be Looking For?Young, old, siblings, couples. There is so much diversity in terms of applying teams. So what sorts of contestants do they want for "Amazing Race Canada" in Season 2?

"I don't think there's such a thing as too old," said Bickerton. "If somebody can do the medical and pass the physical requirements, then I'd love to have a set of 70-year-olds kicking some 20-year-old butt. But nobody loves like siblings and nobody fights like siblings -- they're always an entertaining team dynamic."

"But we always want contestants who are more than just what they look like on the outside," continues Bickerton. "For example, Jet and Dave [from Season 1]. At first glance, they were the obnoxious party guys, but they're actually really great, and they live clean, healthy lives."

"We're looking for teams with interesting stories and great relationships," said Bickerton. "On shows like 'Big Brother' and 'Survivor,' you have to be evil or devious. 'Amazing Race' is more a show about heroes, and about people like you and me who participate in these extraordinary challenges. We're also getting a lot of co-workers applying this year, which is a fascinating sort of relationship -- we didn't have any last year."

Will There Be Any Teams From The Maritimes?One criticism that Bickerton frequently encounters is that there weren't any teams from the east coast of Canada in Season 1. (We here at HuffPost Canada got a lot of angry emails/comments about that too!) Will a team of Maritimers make the grade this time around?

"It's interesting about the east coast of Canada," said Bickerton. "Almost every [audition] video that comes in from the eastern provinces spends the first 30 seconds reminding me or telling me that we didn't have any east-coast representation last year. East coasters were pissed, even though we spent two episodes out there. I personally think the show is more about the places we go and the characters themselves, not necessarily where they're from. And I'm going to be honest here: we're getting some great videos from the east coast, but I'm not seeing an overwhelming response from there. I'm a bit surprised!"

Any Canadian Celebrities Make The Cut?We all know how big a deal Team BodyBreak was going into Season 1. [We here at HuffPost Canada still like taking credit for it.] Other teams were intimidated, and audiences were beyond excited to see the Canadian fitness icons tackle the course. They were a threat, plain and simple. Bickerton says that yes, some celebrities have applied to be a part of Season 2, but he's not totally forthcoming about whether or not they'll be included in the cast.

"BodyBreak came in last-minute, unexpectedly, last year," said Bickerton. "We had a variety of teams audition that were high-profile in different ways. This year, I don't know if we'll have a 'BodyBreak' team. We're not looking for a celebrity couple just to have celebrities on the show. In Canada, it's so strange because we don't have a typical celebrity system -- our biggest stars are sports stars, music stars, maybe politicians to a lesser degree. We've had some Olympians who've submitted fantastic audition videos, too. We just want to find the best set of teams for that starting line."

"It's interesting about the east coast of Canada," said Bickerton. "Almost every [audition] video that comes in from the eastern provinces spends the first 30 seconds reminding me or telling me that we didn't have any east-coast representation last year. East coasters were pissed, even though we spent two episodes out there. I personally think the show is more about the places we go and the characters themselves, not necessarily where they're from. And I'm going to be honest here: we're getting some great videos from the east coast, but I'm not seeing an overwhelming response from there. I'm a bit surprised!"

Let's not do wishlists here please...this is for news and updates. Thanks!

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"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

The author of one of Canada's defining moments at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is "99 per cent" certain he's retiring.

Jon Montgomery, the gold-medal winning skeleton racer who celebrated his victory by chugging from a pitcher of beer handed to him by a fan, says his failed attempt to qualify for the Sochi Games will in all likelihood mark the end of his sliding career.

"I'm done. As a competitive athlete, this is the end of the road for me," Montgomery said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press on Thursday, before later adding: "I would say 99 per cent of me is certain that I am done.

"You won't see me (racing) next year or the year after and I'm 99 per cent sure you won't see me trying to gain a spot for (the 2018 Winter Olympics in) Pyeongchang."

The 34-year-old Montgomery was one of the stars of the Vancouver Games, memorably drinking from that pitcher on national television as he walked through a crowd of rabid Canadian fans in Whistler, B.C.

But the Russell, Man., native struggled to find consistency on a new sled in the leadup to Sochi and missed out on a chance to defend his title in Russia.

"Physically I'm at the top of my game. I'm going out faster than I've ever been in my career but it's a bit of a sacrifice to make sure that I don't get hurt," he said. "I don't know what sort of long-term damage I've done to my brain but in terms of getting a concussion — which is a really distinct possibility, or a brain injury — I need to make the right choices based on my family."

Montgomery said even had he made it to Sochi and topped the podium a second time, the emotions from Vancouver would have been difficult to repeat.

"Nothing can ever replace your first Olympic gold medal," he said. "To have done that on home soil with friends and family and countrymen by my side ... you just can't top that."

Although he wanted desperately to represent Canada again, Montgomery said he's been watching these Games intently.

"It's the human drama that takes place in front of us every day during the Olympics," he said. "It's unbelievable. I enjoyed being part of it as an athlete and (enjoy) being part of it as a fan."

Montgomery took the 2011-'12 season off and found it difficult racing on the new sled he helped build from scratch when he returned to the track. He had used his previous sled for eight years, but felt it was necessary to go with new technology in order to defend his Olympic gold in Sochi.

In the end, he never got that chance.

"It was really frustrating because you had achieved a certain level of performance that you were used to being able to get back to week in and week out," said Montgomery. "Consistency is a huge part in our sport. You have to be very athletic to push the sled, but it's more of a game of skill and touch.

"It's about that feel and that muscle memory, that finite muscle control, and that's what I was struggling with — to get that feel and that touch back to my sliding game."

Montgomery's path to Sochi was always going to be difficult after he failed to earn one of the three men's spots on Canada's World Cup team. He instead raced on a lower circuit where point values for results are lower, but was promoted to the World Cup team in January.

He needed at least a fourth-place finish in his final race to get a third Canadian sled into the Olympics, but wound up a heart-breaking seventh.

That disappointment aside, Montgomery is adamant he did everything possible to give himself the best chance at success.

"I can say until the day I die that there wasn't anything that we didn't address," he said. "I built a gym in my home garage with equipment that I felt was necessary for me to get quicker, bigger, faster, stronger and that paid off.

"With the equipment development end of things, unfortunately we didn't realize the goals that we had set for ourselves — we fell a little bit short.

"It was mostly timing. An opportunity to get comfortable with the equipment that we'd built was really where we fell short. But as far as making the choices and decisions we made, zero regrets."

Montgomery became somewhat of a folk hero after the 2010 Games and was in Calgary on Thursday to promote Proctor & Gamble's "Thank You, Mom" campaign for the 2014 Olympics.

He and his mother, Joan, starred in a video highlighting how she helped him through some tough times early in his career prior to the Olympic gold medal.

She played a similar role again when her son failed to qualify for Sochi.

"My mom was there to help me pick myself up and move on with some purpose and dedication towards what happens next in life," said Montgomery, who hosted the first season of CTV's "Amazing Race Canada" last year and has signed on again for a second instalment that begins shooting in the spring.

That television career will keep Montgomery in the public eye, but he will likely always be known as the Canadian Olympic champion who chugged beer with a gold medal around his neck.

"Lots of great memories, lots of good friends and a lot of pride in what we were able to accomplish for ourselves as individuals and for us as a country," he said. "I haven't given a formal (retirement) announcement.

"I haven't gone to a press conference and cried like Wayne Gretzky yet, but if that day comes I'll probably do that too.

Looks like the grand prize is even bigger. $250000, Air Canada 10 trips for 2 business class anywhere, 2 Chevy Silverados and.... Gas for life (or 50 yrs) from Petro Canada and more pit stop prizes apparently. I wonder what my buddy Rob and Ryan won?? hopefully some new Silverados!

And we will see the official announcement for teams this week, starting tomorrow